Board Poll - Do you support UGrading

[_Lee_]

Iain,

Honestly mate,i wasnt comparing them as such.Just to see what the feeling was.As i said,i bought some parts from you and i have no problem with it,but i see a lot of Ebay sellers selling AT-AT legs etc,from items that were still good enough to be in collections.A missing battery cover or bulb cover doesnt really warrant an item being stripped to bits and removed from circulation completely.

Maybe i should start another thread about this

 

[PGowdy]

I have to agree with Andy here.It isnt going to go away anytime soon,so its seriously time to move on.

Actually, i think it is going away. I think sellers like Robbie will tell you that and part of the reason it is becoming a much less fashionable thing to do is because those of us in the hobby that care refuse to be apathetic about it.

 

[aussiejames]

:shock: look at those.... eyes

 

[itfciain]

Iain,

Honestly mate,i wasnt comparing them as such.Just to see what the feeling was.As i said,i bought some parts from you and i have no problem with it,but i see a lot of Ebay sellers selling AT-AT legs etc,from items that were still good enough to be in collections.A missing battery cover or bulb cover doesnt really warrant an item being stripped to bits and removed from circulation completely.

Maybe i should start another thread about this

"Whats the general feeling about people breaking up vintage items to sell as spares? It is still destruction of the quantities vehicles,playsets etc and is more damageable as it is greatly lessening the numbers of vintage items available.I have no problem with people doing this,and Iain even helped me out with some spare parts recently but i wanted to know what the consensus was on this.It isnt a dig at anyone,and i even use some spare parts myself but isnt it a simliar scenario? allbeit with used items,but still lessening whats available? I know we are talking about unboxing etc with regards to U grades,but i feel it is something that needs to be discussed."

How does it lessen the number of items available ? and how is it the destruction of vehicles ? Do you honestly think that these parts come from complete ships that I have broken down

 

[aussiejames]

Even if complete ships were being broken up for parts they are being bought/given to people to complete vehicles they have. Therfore this is actually increasing the number of complete vehicles out there :wink:

 

[galactables]

I have to agree with Andy here.It isnt going to go away anytime soon,so its seriously time to move on.Many people here know im friends with Robbie,and as some others have said he is a great guy who will do anything for anybody.You seriously need to move on...and yes,i dont like U Grading or AFA but i stopped flogging that horse long ago.

This raised another issue IMO,and i beleive it is a similar scenario regarding the destruction of toys etc.

Whats the general feeling about people breaking up vintage items to sell as spares? It is still destruction of the quantities vehicles,playsets etc and is more damageable as it is greatly lessening the numbers of vintage items available.I have no problem with people doing this,and Iain even helped me out with some spare parts recently but i wanted to know what the consensus was on this.It isnt a dig at anyone,and i even use some spare parts myself but isnt it a simliar scenario? allbeit with used items,but still lessening whats available? I know we are talking about unboxing etc with regards to U grades,but i feel it is something that needs to be discussed.

Good Result Saturday Rob,great penalty by Arteta mate

LOL- It was a great match Lee, regardless of the score. As you know I took my daughter over to watch the match, and I think I have finally converted her to a Gooner. You'd have put your house on Arteta scoring from the spot, but it wasn't to be. I am sure he will make things right on Saturday against the enemy! ATID!

 

[_Lee_]

Iain,

I know you dont take them from complete items mate,i was just making an observation that i have noticed over the last few years.

 

[poncho]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAR-WARS-VINTAGE-LOOSE-JAWA-VINYL-CAPE-1977-AFA-U85-/251204655420?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item3a7cf6d93c

poor u graded jawa

 

[Lee77]

That's just stupid. Who on earth would pay that much for a u before the 85?
The other day there was a carded vc Jawa for less than that. It was only c5 condition but the figure looked great and it would display really well.

 

[walkie]

Ban it

 

[theslider]

This is why I don't like grading. Lots of people think that a graded piece will be worth more - no way! A knackered VC Jawa still MOC should ALWAYS be worth more than a U graded AFA.

Yet it's down to the buyers, and there are daft bastards out there who want U grades. And as I've said before, how can something which is MOC before being opening by the AFA only be classed less than 100? Surely 90% of all figures sent for U grading are MINT, therefore should be 100 but those losers don't grade it as such!

I think they've got a massive agenda here e.g. Jeff's recent post in the latest acquisitions thread - a MOC graded 50 - FFS, mile better than that! Therefore collectors are going to think it's better to go the U grade route.

 

[weasel]

AFA grader #1 "Hey Dave! Come take a look at this beater some idiot sent in!"
Dave "Jesus, that's seen better days! It'll do well to get a 50!"
AFA Grader #1 "Yeah, I was about to give it a 50"
Dave "Whoever sent that in will be gutted, no one wants a 50"
AFA Grader 1 "Absolutely. Clearly they have more money than sense if they are wasting it sending in something like this"

Light bulb goes off above Dave's head

Dave "You know, the figures not in bad nick, if we could persuade people to pay to get them graded loose and take things like this off the card we could sting the idiots twice!"

AFA Grader 1's eyes light up

AFA Grader 1 "YEAH! Great idea! But..........ahhh, wait, sure we already grade loose. Not sure anyone would be dumb enough to rip it off the card just to get a regular loose grade."

Dave "How about we make it different, special some how! We could....................I know! We could stick a "U" in front of it!"

Dave sits back with a smug grin on his face.

 

[itfciain]

AFA grader #1 "Hey Dave! Come take a look at this beater some idiot sent in!"
Dave "Jesus, that's seen better days! It'll do well to get a 50!"
AFA Grader #1 "Yeah, I was about to give it a 50"
Dave "Whoever sent that in will be gutted, no one wants a 50"
AFA Grader 1 "Absolutely. Clearly they have more money than sense if they are wasting it sending in something like this"

Light bulb goes off above Dave's head

Dave "You know, the figures not in bad nick, if we could persuade people to pay to get them graded loose and take things like this off the card we could sting the idiots twice!"

AFA Grader 1's eyes light up

AFA Grader 1 "YEAH! Great idea! But..........ahhh, wait, sure we already grade loose. Not sure anyone would be dumb enough to rip it off the card just to get a regular loose grade."

Dave "How about we make it different, special some how! We could....................I know! We could stick a "U" in front of it!"

Dave sits back with a smug grin on his face.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I bet that isn't a million miles from the truth

 

[weasel]

Probably too many big words in there for an AFA grader

 

[tundra9]

Genesis of the U-grade:

 

[Grant_C]

Ugrading: it's in the DNA:

http://www.empireclaims.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Greedy-bankers-refusing-to-pay-PPI-claims-necessitate-PPI-claim-firms.jpg

 

[Lonebudman]

I hate grading full stop.
A simple service to authenticate cards/figures/weapons should be enough.

 

[jambobbyb]

I don't mind Grading I have a few graded items from both UKG and AFA I know some people don't like the cost or the cases but I do I find them very display friendly and I have zero issue with this at all as it damages nothing but I do not like U grading its a totally pointless part of this hobby!